December 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
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    MobyCarp wrote: »
    corriepelc wrote: »
    Hi everyone! New to MyFitnessPal and a bit late to start this challenge (although I've been following the #RWRunStreak this month).

    A bit about me -- about four years I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, spurring me to start eating cleaner and finally lose weight. I returned to Weight Watchers, where I was able to lose 60 lbs, reclaimed Lifetime status, and became a runner in the process.

    I unfortunately have put on a few of my pounds back since the summer due to stress. And I also have found myself struggling with WW's food limitations as I am now a half-marathoner and I work out normally twice a day, with strength training in the morning and running/Zumba in the evening. I'm now working with a sports nutritionist to lose those few pounds I gained and make sure I'm fueling myself properly, and she suggested I use MyFitnessPal.

    I'm looking forward to learning lots, and definitely participating in next month's running challenge!

    I decided in 2019 to run at least one race a month, so I already have a 5Ks lined up for January and February, and in March I'll be running my fourth half-marathon on St. Paddy's Day.

    Looking forward to getting to know you all!

    Welcome! I think we might have one or two other runners who also need to avoid gluten; I confess I haven't paid much attention to what they say about how they need to eat.

    Other than running, my major focus is avoiding injury and maintaining a stable weight. The latter is complicated by training cycles and especially periods of injury, but I manage to more or less do it by controlling intake. I've run 18 half marathons and 5 full marathons, but I haven't found a way to out-run my fork.

    Yeah, I forget who... but there are at least 3 or 4 among us.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    I went for a run! Woo hoo! I did 5k! Even better. Pretty much a tempo run of 5:40min/km so that's brilliant! Given I haven't run in a week, it wasn't as bad as I expected. And I feel good. All the minor niggles and annoyances have gone. I figure I'll do 4k tomorrow then 6 the day after. Sort of building a base again.

    In other news, I won an academic excellence award this year! (feeling smart) and got a $150 voucher to spend at the mall (equivalent of around $80-100usd) and i have no idea what to spend it on! The mall is 4hrs drive away, and I will be there after Christmas. They have a proper running store but my shoes tend to be twice that haha. Socks?

    Why is my first thought running gear?? You guys have corrupted me!

    Does it have to be used before a certain date? If not could you hang onto it and use it towards shoes when you do need new ones? (Assuming you can't put the extra up to do that now and have the shoes waiting for when they're needed....)
    I don't know what prices are like there but that's quite a lot of socks unless you use really special ones lol
    Otherwise *kitten* running stuff and use it to pamper yourself with if they have anywhere there that you can? Massage? Facial? Nails? Hair?
    You earned that thing, make sure you do something you really want to with it.
    (Which ok if socks are your thing and they are going to make you really happy, go ahead!)

    I think it has a year, but I rarely go to the city the mall is at, and given its a rhr drive away...

    I like the pamper idea. There is a place in the mall that does nails, could be an awesome thing to do for me, mum and my two girls!
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    corriepelc wrote: »
    Hi everyone! New to MyFitnessPal and a bit late to start this challenge (although I've been following the #RWRunStreak this month).

    A bit about me -- about four years I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, spurring me to start eating cleaner and finally lose weight. I returned to Weight Watchers, where I was able to lose 60 lbs, reclaimed Lifetime status, and became a runner in the process.

    I unfortunately have put on a few of my pounds back since the summer due to stress. And I also have found myself struggling with WW's food limitations as I am now a half-marathoner and I work out normally twice a day, with strength training in the morning and running/Zumba in the evening. I'm now working with a sports nutritionist to lose those few pounds I gained and make sure I'm fueling myself properly, and she suggested I use MyFitnessPal.

    I'm looking forward to learning lots, and definitely participating in next month's running challenge!

    I decided in 2019 to run at least one race a month, so I already have a 5Ks lined up for January and February, and in March I'll be running my fourth half-marathon on St. Paddy's Day.

    Looking forward to getting to know you all!

    Welcome! I think we might have one or two other runners who also need to avoid gluten; I confess I haven't paid much attention to what they say about how they need to eat.

    Other than running, my major focus is avoiding injury and maintaining a stable weight. The latter is complicated by training cycles and especially periods of injury, but I manage to more or less do it by controlling intake. I've run 18 half marathons and 5 full marathons, but I haven't found a way to out-run my fork.

    Yeah, I forget who... but there are at least 3 or 4 among us.

    Ummm aren't you one of them 😜
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
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    Avidkeo wrote: »
    I went for a run! Woo hoo! I did 5k! Even better. Pretty much a tempo run of 5:40min/km so that's brilliant! Given I haven't run in a week, it wasn't as bad as I expected. And I feel good. All the minor niggles and annoyances have gone. I figure I'll do 4k tomorrow then 6 the day after. Sort of building a base again.

    In other news, I won an academic excellence award this year! (feeling smart) and got a $150 voucher to spend at the mall (equivalent of around $80-100usd) and i have no idea what to spend it on! The mall is 4hrs drive away, and I will be there after Christmas. They have a proper running store but my shoes tend to be twice that haha. Socks?

    Why is my first thought running gear?? You guys have corrupted me!

    Congrats!! For $80 - $100 you can probably get some nice new clothes. Or dinner at a REALLY FANCY PLACE. :)
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    1---2.01
    2---2.0 TM
    4---1.0 TM barefoot for form
    9---3.0 TM
    11---2.0 TM
    14---2.0 TM
    15---4.0 intervals
    16---5.0 intervals
    19---2.0 TM

    23/45 miles

    I have a small dilemma. I have a half training plan, one of those wishful thinking kinda things. Tomorrow is 4 miles
    Friday 0
    sat 2,
    sunday 5

    The problem. I wont do 4 tomorrow.

    Or i could suck it up and try the 4 on the TM before work. Four miles requires intervals outside.

    I see the wisdom in separating the 4 and 5 miles, buuuuutt, would it be heinous to stay with 4-5 on sat sun?

    Whats the pioint of a plan if i wont follow it, right?

    Whats your vote? Grow up/put on my big girl running pants and do the TM even walk if i gotta?
    Or
    Scootch it to Saturday? And hope for nice weather? Forcast is 60F... Omg!!!

    Oh now just nevermind. I'm running Saturday :blush: doch, if you have suggestions I'm open because i still have 18 more weeks on this plan.

    Dh just got his "in training" shirt for the race i wont be running but hopefully am sneaking up on. Grrrr :rage: i want it.

    Upcoming races
    January 5 BIRR Ultra relay. 50k. Hawaii. For @KeepRunningFatboy
    March 31, 2019 A2A Undecided distance. Ardmore OK
    April 28, 2019 OKC Memorial Marathon (half)
    Run the Year team A 400+ miles
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10710465/2019-run-the-year-group#latest

    Honestly, I am a firm believer in back to back long runs, so I would lean towards the 4 on Saturday, the 5 on Sunday, and the 2 miles tomorrow... but that is just what I would. It is not necessarily smart to do what I would do...

    I also am partial to the back to back LR. Thanks!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited December 2018
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    Thanks for sharing your wisdom on the HR @MobyCarp .

    That got me thinking and I dont seem to see the high HR early if I'm using the optic HR. I could probably wear my watch a bit tighter, but I have abandoned HR training for now.

    Here are the comparisons @shanaber. You may want to consider the optical HRM (from Garmin of course).
    Dont mind the dip half way, I had a call.
    8tzzhohe8pr7.jpg

    And strap. Intervals

    xy8fct51kmje.jpg
  • hanlonsk
    hanlonsk Posts: 762 Member
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    @avidkeo - if you are set on the run stuff idea, GOOD sports bras are worth every penny, and you could still get some socks or whatever : )
    But I’m also an advocate of spending surprise money on fun stuff you wouldn’t normally do with your real money, like pampering and such.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @corriepelc welcome!

    So I'm really fed up right now. Legs were feeling good after Tuesday's little treadmill jog so I had my heart set on getting out for an easy 5km this morning. Stupid thing to do. There was more ironing to be done last night after I finished work, I swear that freakin ironing is to blame (nothing to do with running an HM of course!) and of course my knees started to hurt again before I was done. I tried to be positive and optimistic and all that crap and told myself I'd be fine in the morning, but I'm not. Not in agony, but there's a definite tightness round the knees again that shouldn't be there. I could be crazy and just go run on them knowing that will cause pain, but I'm not going to let myself. So it's going to have to be some super fun exciting not at all tedious boring or frustratingly low calorie burning yoga/pilates/stretching/muttering stuff for me today. Oh the joy.

    Been hoping against hope some relative (long story but most of my family lives in the UK) would send me some cash for Christmas that I could invest in a physio visit. Nope. That would have been too perfect.

    Not only does running help me manage stress and anxiety and keeps me sane (ok half sane?) but it allows me to eat. At about 5'1" (is that how you type it? dunno we use metres here) and with a desk job that has me sitting in place for up to 12 hours a day, I maintain on around 1350 calories. That is NOT a lot of food. Especially with Christmas coming up. Looks like I'm going to be the bitter grumpy depressed one in the corner while everyone stuffs their faces again. Yay!

    @Avidkeo oooo I like the jewelry idea too! I drooled over a few beautiful silver HM themes necklaces and bracelets for a while before coming off cloud nine (you know the story, they only make them in the US/UK and shipping would cost more than the damn things themselves)

    Hugs about the knees. Remember it's 1 day per mile for recovery! I basically took a month off and today felt great! It's frustrating but try not beat yourself up over it.

    I get what you mean about the food - I'm 5'3" - 160cm and currently weigh just on 70kg. I've pretty much decided not to worry about the food and exercise thing until January. I'm not going crazy but not going extreme. That said your TDEE should be around 1350, I'm sure your actually use should be a bit higher. Can you foya lunchtime walk or something like that?
  • noblsheep
    noblsheep Posts: 586 Member
    edited December 2018
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    shanaber wrote: »
    Question for those of you who have chest strap HR monitors.
    What do you use?
    What do you like/dislike about yours?
    How is the battery life?

    I have a Polar H10 and in the last few months spent a boatload on batteries. The latest battery (fresh out of a new package) lasted not even a week, just 2 - 1 hour workouts on the bike at the gym 😣 Its not even 2 years old...

    TIA

    I use the garmin one that came with the 620. It uses one of those button batteries and I've never changed it since I got it. Given, I rarely use it anymore because my 645 gives wrist based HR readings.

    Like: easy to use. Moisten the silver reader things, strap it on and go. My watch finds it in 2 seconds (much faster than GPS) and it hasn't given me any false readings so far.

    Dislike: sometimes when it's at a wrong angle or something, it chaffs like crazy and there's no saving it. I once needed to duck into the bushes so innocent bystanders wouldn't have to watch a crazy person pull stuff out of her bra. :|

    @corriepelc Welcome!
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    @corriepelc welcome!

    So I'm really fed up right now. Legs were feeling good after Tuesday's little treadmill jog so I had my heart set on getting out for an easy 5km this morning. Stupid thing to do. There was more ironing to be done last night after I finished work, I swear that freakin ironing is to blame (nothing to do with running an HM of course!) and of course my knees started to hurt again before I was done. I tried to be positive and optimistic and all that crap and told myself I'd be fine in the morning, but I'm not. Not in agony, but there's a definite tightness round the knees again that shouldn't be there. I could be crazy and just go run on them knowing that will cause pain, but I'm not going to let myself. So it's going to have to be some super fun exciting not at all tedious boring or frustratingly low calorie burning yoga/pilates/stretching/muttering stuff for me today. Oh the joy.

    Been hoping against hope some relative (long story but most of my family lives in the UK) would send me some cash for Christmas that I could invest in a physio visit. Nope. That would have been too perfect.

    Not only does running help me manage stress and anxiety and keeps me sane (ok half sane?) but it allows me to eat. At about 5'1" (is that how you type it? dunno we use metres here) and with a desk job that has me sitting in place for up to 12 hours a day, I maintain on around 1350 calories. That is NOT a lot of food. Especially with Christmas coming up. Looks like I'm going to be the bitter grumpy depressed one in the corner while everyone stuffs their faces again. Yay!

    @Avidkeo oooo I like the jewelry idea too! I drooled over a few beautiful silver HM themes necklaces and bracelets for a while before coming off cloud nine (you know the story, they only make them in the US/UK and shipping would cost more than the damn things themselves)

    Hugs about the knees. Remember it's 1 day per mile for recovery! I basically took a month off and today felt great! It's frustrating but try not beat yourself up over it.

    I get what you mean about the food - I'm 5'3" - 160cm and currently weigh just on 70kg. I've pretty much decided not to worry about the food and exercise thing until January. I'm not going crazy but not going extreme. That said your TDEE should be around 1350, I'm sure your actually use should be a bit higher. Can you foya lunchtime walk or something like that?

    Kinda in the same boat, short and enjoys eating. Anything else you could do while waiting on the knees to get better? Crosstrain, weights, throw things around?
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,412 Member
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    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    shanaber wrote: »
    Thanks @elise4270 and @garygse - I will check the Garmin HRM out... I don't have a Garmin watch so will have to see if it will talk to my Apple watch... Yes I could get a Garmin watch too but I really love my Apple watch! The only issue have with it is the HRM which in my case has problems when I work out, especially at the beginning and end of workouts and will regularly give me a HR way higher than my HR ever goes - ie.. from consistently 45 jumping to over 200 at the start of a workout and then somewhere in the middle going back to a normal level for me. So the HRM is better for that reason.

    Welcome @corriepelc to our crazy group of runners! Warning the group can be addicting and the discussion moves really fast!

    I see this also. @MobyCarp found us an explanation having to do with connectivity i believe. That 200bpm in the first 5 minutes is bogus.

    I'm not so sure what to think about the early high heart rate. I was really liking the newer HRMs that came with the 630, but . . . they break. After the fourth one, I gave up on replacing them and went back to the HRM that came with my old 620. Tightening it up fixed the chafing problem that I'd had; but the elevated HR at the beginning of a run is more pronounced. I'd heard a Garmin rep refer to that as a connection issue, till you sweat enough to get a good contact; but that doesn't explain why my HR makes sense for standing, sitting, lying down, and walking around before I start running. So . . . here's my heart rate chart from today's run:

    duguu59vjqqu.png

    I don't know whether my HR really went to 184 early on, but the high reading corresponds to a real physiological warmup phenomenon. It comes down when I'm getting comfortable in my run, my footstrike is softer, and I'm getting into the groove. If I run a 2 mile warmup before speed work, the HR might be elevated right to the end of the warmup, then look normal for the speed work proper.

    I certainly don't feel like a 184 HR; but perhaps the heart is beating lightly and rapidly, and warming up means it gives stronger beats less frequently? I don't know. It's also possible that there's a connectivity/measurement technical glitch that happens to correspond with the physical warmup period. I do know that when I wear my Vivofit and look at the HR, the HR coming down corresponds really well with my getting into the groove of running comfortably. What I don't know is how high my HR *really* is during that warmup period. The newer HRM (the model that breaks) didn't show this as much, and showed a lesser elevation when it did; so I think part of it is measurement issue. I don't know how much.

    Edit to add: The idea was just an easy run, and there were a few hills; but the hills came during the period of lower HR. Also, I see I ran the last 2 miles around marathon pace instead of easy; and that's also where the HR is low. The high HR period is when I was running slowest.
    @mobycarp - That is interesting that yours matches the warm up period. The problem I have when using just the optical on my Apple Watch is the HR it gives is much higher than possible for me. It is not consistent with either my HRM chest strap or any of the cardiologist monitors. Also if my HR jumped from 45-65 where it normally is, to over 200 in an instant I am pretty sure I would be on the ground, same for when it dropped back to the normal range.
    @pastorvincent - I have the watch as tight as I can get it without cutting off my circulation - it is not loose and doesn't move around.

    I can't use Garmin unless I buy a Garmin watch (there are advantages but I love my Apple Watch functionality). I guess I could have a Garmin watch for running and the Apple Watch for everything else... seems extreme though.

    I did find that the Polar warranty is 2 years so there is that if I can get them to tell me where to send it - apparently it is a secret. They refer to Service Centers and Warranty service claims but the pages are 'not found'. The support staff emailed that they would be happy to help me change the battery... sigh... honestly Polar makes a pretty decent product when it works but their service sucks!

    @noblsheep - 😁 I have done that too... also taken my shirt and pulled it all the way up under the strap in the back to stop the chafing.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    eleanorhawkins wrote: »
    noblsheep wrote: »

    Kinda in the same boat, short and enjoys eating. Anything else you could do while waiting on the knees to get better? Crosstrain, weights, throw things around?

    Crying about it doesn't seem to burn any cals..... wondering whether punching people would? Maybe if they were heavy people?

    @Avidkeo 158cm on a good day.... 54.5kg. Sucks. I have a treadmill I walk on, but the burn is barely worth it and I'm not sure it will help the stupid knees.
    What's getting to me the most is I signed up for another HM at the end of March, and had intended starting right back into training, but I can (probably stupidly) imagine my fitness level sliding right away and falling behind so just another thing to get worked up over. Argh!
    I need to get out somehow this morning or tomorrow anyway... school breaks up tomorrow and I still haven't bought mini-me's Christmas present. The mall is about a mile away. Not that she deserves it, her grades have slipped right up this term (**sigh** teenagers.) But work is totally crazy (pay's crap but hours are crazy and everything comes with a deadline that's impossible to meet.) And Christmas always depresses me as it is. Yeah sorry total pity party in progress here.... need a bloody run lol.

    Well you are a healthy weight for your height so that's a good start!

    As far as training goes, you are better off giving your knees a rest for a week or two, then pushing through. You won't lose that much fitness in the next two weeks. Sure the first week back will be mentally challenging but if you start your training plan the beginning of January you will be fine. You will probably find you could do the first two weeks to get back into it, then skip to week 5 or 6 because your fitness level will be about there.

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